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Critical - to - CTP

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Critical

An activity or event that, if delayed, will delay some other important event, commonly the completion of a project or a major milestone in a project. [D00440]

Critical Activity

Any activity on a critical path.
Editor's Note: Any activity viewed as requiring special attention, i.e. particularly effective or efficient execution because of high risk to scope, cost or time, should be included on the "critical" list for the project to be successful. [D00444]

An activity or work item that, if not completed by the indicated time allowed, will increase the total project duration by the corresponding extent of the delay in completion of that activity or work item. (I.e. activities or work items with zero float). [D00441]

An activity is termed critical when it has zero or negative float. [D00443]

Any activity on a critical path. Most commonly determined by using the critical path method.
Editor's Note: Although some activities are •criticalê in the dictionary sense without being on the critical path, this distinction is seldom made in the project environment. [D00445]

An activity that has zero or negative float. This activity has no allowance for work slippage. It must be finished on time or the whole project will fall behind schedule. (Non-critical activities have float or slack time and are not on the critical path. Super-critical activities have negative float.) [D02247]

Critical Chain

That set of tasks which determines the overall duration of a project, after taking resource capacity into account. It is typically regarded as the constraint or leverage point of a project. See also Theory of Constraints. [D04522]

Critical Defect

A defect that judgment and experience indicate is likely to result in hazardous or unsafe conditions for individuals using, maintaining, or depending upon the product; or a defect that judgment and experience indicate is likely to prevent performance of the tactical function of a major end item such as an aircraft, communication system, land vehicle, missile, ship, space vehicle, surveillance system, or major part thereof. [D00446]

Critical Defective

A unit of product that contains one or more critical defects and may also contain major or minor defects. [D00447]

Critical Design Review

A series of control gates to approve the build-to and code-to documentation, associated draft verification procedures, and readiness and capability of fabricators and coders to carry out the implementation. All hardware, software, support equipment, and tooling should be reviewed in ascending order of unit to system. More appropriately called Production Guarantee Review. [D04059]

A series of control gates at which the Buyer reviews and approves the seller's Build-to baseline as evidenced by detailed Build-to documentation and approves proceeding with fabrication and coding. All hardware, software, handling equipment, test equipment, and tooling should be reviewed in the ascending order of assembly to system. [D00448]

In the waterfall model life cycle, the major review held when the detailed design is completed. [D04816]

Critical Event

A happening that may serve to change the course of a project. [D02592]

Critical Factors

Favorable or adverse conditions that may exist or be expected that may significantly impact the course of a project. See also Critical Success Factors. [D02593]

Critical Path

The series of tasks that must finish on time for the entire project to finish on schedule. Each task on the critical path is a critical task. [D00455]

In a network diagram, the longest path from start to finish or the path without any slack, and thus the path corresponding to the shortest time in which the project can be completed. [D00449]

In a project network diagram, the path with the longest duration. The critical path may change from time to time as activities are completed ahead of or behind schedule. See critical path method. [D00450]

The line of project activities having the least float, especially when float is close to, or below zero. [D00451]

The route through the network that has only critical activities. [D00452]

The series of consecutive activities that represent the longest path through the project. [D00453]

The series of interdependent activities of a project connected end-to-end, which determines the shortest total length of the project. The critical path of a project may change from time to time as activities are completed ahead of or behind schedule. [D00454]

The series of activities that define the total project duration [D02232]

The path (sequence) of activities which represent the longest total time required to complete the project. A delay in any activity in the critical path causes a delay in the completion of the project. There may be more than one critical path depending on durations and work flow logic.
Editor's Note: There may also be other near critical paths, especially if relative risks are taken into account. [D02249]

The sequence of activities that must be completed on schedule for the entire project to be completed on schedule. It is the longest duration path through the work plan. If an activity on the critical path is delayed by one day, the entire project will be delayed by one day (unless another activity on the critical path can be accelerated by one day). [D04956]

Critical Path Analysis

Procedure for calculating the critical path and floats in a network. [D04421]

Critical Path Method ("CPM")

A technique used to predict project duration by analyzing which sequence of activities has the least amount of scheduling flexibility. Early dates are figured by a forward pass using a specific start date and late dates are figured by using a backward pass starting from a completion date. [D00458]

A scheduling technique using precedence diagrams for graphic display of the work plan. The method used to determine the length of a project and to identify the activities that are critical to the completion of the project. [D00457]

A type of network diagram in which the activities are labeled on the arrows. [D00459]

A network analysis technique used to predict project duration by analyzing which sequence of activities (which path) has the least amount of scheduling flexibility (the least amount of float). Early dates are calculated by means of a forward pass using a specified start date. Late dates are calculated by means of a backward pass starting from a specified completion date (usually the forward pass's calculated project early finish date). [D00456]

An activity oriented time control technique used for planning complex projects. Used mostly but not necessarily in the implementation phase. It requires breaking down the project into activities, arranging them into a logical sequence, estimating the duration of each and so arrive at that series of activities that determines the minimum possible duration of the project. These are the critical path activities. See also Arrow Diagramming and Precedence Diagramming. [D03055]

Critical Path Network ("CPN")

A plan for the execution of a project which consists of activities and their logical relationships to one another. [D00460]

Critical Performance Indicator

A critical factor against which aspects of project performance may be assessed. [D04422]

Critical Ratio

A ratio that measures an important characteristic. This ratio is often plotted or tracked in some way to determine priorities among items or events. [D00461]

Critical Sequence

A sequence of activities having zero float after resource limits are taken into account in calculating float. [D03825]

Critical Sequence Analysis

A process of calculating a critical sequence of activities while taking into account resource limits that reflect an activity's flexibility. [D03826]

Critical Subcontractor

A contractor or supplier performing a decisive portion of a project which generally requires close oversight, control, and reporting. Critical subcontractors are designated as a result of customer negotiation or by management direction. [D04630]

Critical Success Factors ("CSF")

Those measurable factors, listed in order of importance, that when present in the projectês environment are most conducive to the achievement of a successful project. Examples include: Project objectives aligned with corporate mission; Top management support; A culture of open communication, etc. See also Key Success Indicators (KSIs) [D00462]

The key factors which are deemed critical to the success of the project. The nature of these factors will govern the response to conflicts, risks and the setting of priorities. [D03827]

Critical Task

A task that must finish on time for the entire project to finish on time. If a critical task is delayed, the project completion date is also delayed. A critical task has zero slack time. A series of critical tasks make up the projectês critical path. [D00463]

Critical Work Item

See Critical Activity [D00442]

Criticality Index

A measure of how often an activity appears on the critical path during a Monte Carlo simulation [D03828]

Used in risk analysis, the criticality index represents the percentage of simulation trails that resulted in the activity being placed on the critical path. [D00464]

Used in risk analysis, the criticality index represents the percentage of simulation trails that resulted in the activity being placed on the critical path. [D04420]

Cross Organizational

Across the hierarchy of a line organization. [D00376]

Cross References

An annotation signifying a connection to another item elsewhere. [D02594]

Cross-Stage Plan

A detailed plan showing activities that span more than one stage in the project life cycle. [D03829]

CSCI

See Computer Software Configuration Item

CSF

See Critical Success Factors

CTC

See Contract Target Cost

CTP

See Contract Target Price